By James Broughton, March 14, 2025
Did anyone in the F1 media notice Yuki Tsunoda’s hot lap during the second practice session at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix? Evidently not. The Red Bull reject slotted into fourth place in the FP2 timings with a solid lap, just 0.345 seconds off the leading trio. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc topped the session with a lap time of 1:16.439, edging McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by 0.124 seconds. Piastri, in turn, was only a few thousandths ahead of his teammate Lando Norris. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton, making his Ferrari race debut, registered a time just 0.42 seconds behind Tsunoda.
Second practice is by no means an outlier, as the 2024 pole position time stands at 1:14s, indicating there is still more performance to be unlocked. F1 teams are effectively allowed four engine changes per season and often run detuned engine modes during practice sessions to improve longevity. However, FP2 has already provided an early glimpse of the pecking order.
Ferrari and McLaren appear evenly matched in terms of outright pace, but early long-run data suggests McLaren holds the advantage. Long-run pace is heavily influenced by chassis design, weight distribution, and other key engineering factors.
This means Ferrari may need to make significant chassis adjustments to compete with McLaren over a full race distance—let alone an entire season. However, under the current budget cap regulations, Ferrari is limited to suspension and aerodynamic tweaks to address any long-run performance deficiencies.
Of course, this is speculation for now, but one thing is already clear: a divide is forming between the “haves” and the “have-nots.”
The Mid Field
How can you call Yuki Tsunoda a midfield runner when he set the fourth-fastest time in FP2? Clearly, Red Bull’s B-team, Racing Bulls Honda, is flying at the moment. Tsunoda posted a lap time ahead of the Red Bull works team, while Max Verstappen, who only managed the seventh-fastest time, appears to be facing the same struggles and challenges that plagued him last year.
At this rate, defending his title seems increasingly unrealistic. Meanwhile, Tsunoda’s teammate, highly rated rookie Isack Hadjar, set the sixth-fastest time, further highlighting the impressive pace of the Racing Bulls.
Mercedes also seems to be entering a dormant period, with George Russell setting the tenth-fastest time, while Hamilton’s replacement Kimi Antonelli could only manage 16th. The midfield battle appears to be a repeat of last year, though Williams has closed the gap and looks to be knocking on the door of the top 10—but so far, no one is answering.
The third practice session should provide a clearer picture of the true pecking order, so expect changes as lap times improve. Mercedes could stage a comeback, and Aston Martin might deliver a surprise, but for now, the real test will be in qualifying.
2025 Austrailian GP: FP2 Results
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:16.439
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.124
3 Lando Norris McLaren +0.141
4 Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls +0.345
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.420
6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +0.580
7 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.624
8 Nico Hulkenberg Kick Sauber +0.722
9 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.840
10 George Russell Mercedes +0.843
11 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.863 – mediums
12 Alexander Albon Williams +0.863
13 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.891
14 Jack Doohan Alpine +0.955
15 Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.054
16 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +1.195
17 Liam Lawson Red Bull Racing +1.201
18 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber +1.408
19 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team +1.595
20 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team
